Walton clark and rollin norris



{No Model.

W. CLARK 8; R. NORRIS.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING GAS. N0.552,889. N Patented Jan. 14, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- W'ALTCN CLARK AND ROLLIN NORRIS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE UNITED GAS IMPROVEMENT COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,889, dated January 14, 1896. Application filed March 26, 1891. Serial No. 386,480. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WALTON CLARK, of Philadelphia, (Chestnut Hill,) and ROLLIN NORRIS, of the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Making Gas, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to gas-making apparatus of the kind in which water-gas generators are combined with retorts for distilling bituminous coal, and particularly adapted for use in connection with apparatus, such as is described in alton Clarks patent, No. 04,520, dated June 1889. In this patented apparatus we have found that while it was decidedly advantageous to pass the watergas from the generator through the retorts when freshly filled with coal the advantage decreased during the latter stages of the distillation of the coal in the retort, and that finally the passage of the water-gas through the retort had the effect of absorbing heat rather than communicating it to the coal. Ne have also found that where all of the retorts of a set are connected together at one end, as they are in Clarks patented apparatus, the opening of the end of one retort permits flames and gases to escape through it from the other retorts, this being objectionable both as interfering with the proper stoking and from the consequent loss of valuable gases. With a view of obviating the abovenoted defects and of generally improving and cheap ening the apparatus we have devised our present improvement.

Our invention consists in the improved apparatus for carrying out this process, which apparatus will be best understood as described in connection with the drawings in which it is illustrated, and in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a generator and set of retort-s constructed and provided with connections in accordance with our present invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation showing two sets of generators and retorts an ranged side by side, and Fig. 3 is an elevation showing the charging ends of the rctorts.

A A indicate the water A gas generators which are of usual construction; B, the ma sonry setting for the retorts, in which setting are formed proper fiucs, fire-chambers, &c., for the external heating of the retorts-such, for instance, as are described in W'alton Clarks former patent.

C C C, &c., are the retorts, which are preferably set on an incline, as shown; C C, &c., the charging-doors of the retort; C C 850., doors at their lower ends through which their contents are withdrawn. The door C should be close to and above the tops of the generators A.

D D are water-gas conduits leading from the generators A A into a conduit E. The conduit E branches in the construction into three conduits E E E, from which branches E lead to the ends of each retort C, valves 2 being provided in each of such branches so that they can be opened or closed at will.

F F are conduits leading from the opposite end of each retort C to a hydraulic main G.

The dotted lines F indicate conduits leading from near the discharge ends of the retorts to the hydraulic main.

H II are hoppers which connect with the charging-ports a, of the generators, and have their mouths arranged beneath the discharging-doors of the retort C.

In operating our improved apparatus the various retorts of each set are charged with bituminous coal at differenttimes, so that the distillation of the bituminous coal will have just begun in one retort or in a certain number of retorts, while in another retort or a number of retorts it will be partially com pleted, and in a third set of retorts it will be entirely completed and the coke ready for discharge. The water-gas formed in the genera tor or generators passes through the conduits D, E, and E, and thence through the conduits E to each retort. hen a retort is freshly filled with coal the valve 2 in the pipe E leading to it is opened, and the water-gas then passes through the retort, mixing with the coal-gas formed in it, the-mixed gas escaping through pipe F near its charging-door and being connected to the hydraulic main. After the retort has been raised to a temperature in excess of the temperature of the watei gas, the valve a leading to that retort is closed and the further distillation. of the coal continued Without admission of any Water-gas to the retort, the coal-gas escaping in the same Way as before to the hydraulic main. It is 01 course easy for the operator to determine about how long the valve 6 should remain open and how much of the distillation of the coal should be carried on by external heat alone. Some of the pipes IE will of course always be open so that the Water-gas will always escape through some of the retorts to the hydraulic main.

\Vhen the distillation of any batch of coal is completed, the discharging-door at its lower end is opened and the stoker opening the charging-door pushes the coke out into the funnel lI, whence it falls into the generator to be used in the manufacture of water-gas; or if no fuel is required in the generator the coke can be taken off and stored for future use. The pipe leading to the generator which is being discharged and refilled is of Course always closed, and as the retort has no communication with either the generator or any other retort of the set the Stoker will not be interfered with by escaping gases nor will any valuable gases be lost.

lVhilo we prefer to the water-gas through the retorts during the portion of each run, it is yet true that many of the advantages of our apparatus can be secured by an arrangement of take-oil pipes which do not draw the watengas through the retortthus. for instance, by carrying the take-cit pipes. as indicated by dotted lines at F, from the same end of the retorts that the pipes E lead into. XV e find it advisable also to provide a bypass pipe leading from the generator to the hydraulic main or receiver-as for instance, a pipe J Fig. 1, with a valve J"-so that a portion of the water-gas can at proper times be led directly to the main without entering the coal-retorts.

Having now described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In combination with awater gas generator. a set of coal retorts, water-gas conduits leading from the generator to each retort, valves arranged to close each such conduitindependently; gas take-cit conduits leading from each retort, and a by-pass leading from the generator to the hydraulic main or receiver.

XVALTON' CLARK. RQLLIN NORRIS. \Vitnesses:

GEORGE House, JOSHUA MATLAOK, J r. 

